An electric switching valve of the above type is described in DE 44 19 875 B4. Such an electric switching valve is particularly suited for driving pneumatic actuators such as vacuum-controlled boxes. These vacuum-controlled boxes in turn drive final control elements on the engine such as, for example, the flaps of suction-tubes, exhaust flaps or the like. In such processes, while the electric switching valve is in the energized state, the actuator of the vacuum-controlled box will perform a stroke movement against a spring force. If the springs are of the strongly-built type, this movement will proceed “slowly” but expeditiously. When the electric switching valve is then switched into the deenergized state, the restoring movement of the vacuum-controlled box is performed solely under the effect of the spring force. In case of strongly-built springs, the restoring movement may occur very rapidly so that, when the flap is operated, a distinctly audible impact of the flap is caused. This hard impact of the flap, apart from the noise generated by it, will also result in increased wear of the flap system.
An extremely place-saving configuration is obtained if the pneumatic actuator element is directly connected to the consumer connection channel in such a manner that the electric switching valve and the pneumatic actuator element together form one constructional unit.